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What is an unfair question? (Vanity)
Little House on Unaka | 1/27/16 | don-o

Posted on 01/27/2016 2:17:04 PM PST by don-o

Hannity just got on my last nerve (again). He's talking to a Trump son about "unfair questions". Hannity says he hears unfair questions from the media. He says he never asks unfair questions.

But, I never hear, "What exactly is an unfair question"?

What makes a question unfair?


TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: unfair
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To: don-o
In the case of a debate.
A question of a character noticeably different than the others debaters are asked.
21 posted on 01/27/2016 2:30:51 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: don-o

Kelly’s question to Cruz about God in the first debate. It was unfair and mocked God.


22 posted on 01/27/2016 2:31:30 PM PST by Jane Austen (Marco Rubio is the White Obama and beholden to special interests.)
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To: don-o

Cheapest shot I ever saw was George Stephanopoulos asking Romney about contraception.


23 posted on 01/27/2016 2:32:42 PM PST by Blackirish
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To: Boonie

If they are ALL asked ‘interview’ questions then it is not unfair to any candidate- just to the viewers.


24 posted on 01/27/2016 2:32:55 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: don-o
For a school board position, the evolution question would be fair.

To ask the same question of a politician would fall into the unfair/irrelevant category, IMHO.

25 posted on 01/27/2016 2:34:48 PM PST by PROCON (Proud CRUZader!)
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To: TigersEye
Life isn't fair. Fairness is an abstract invention of the human mind. It only applies to games invented by people. For real life it's necessary to grow up.

C.S. Lewis would not agree. In the beginning of "Mere Christianity" he says that if one agrees to split an orange with someone and you give a smaller piece, it is a natural, innate reaction to consider that unfair.

Wandering off topic, but I can use some diversion. Thanks for posting.

26 posted on 01/27/2016 2:34:52 PM PST by don-o (He will not share His glory. And He will NOT be mocked!)
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To: bgill
When it's an intentional rude slap down that has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Would you give an example, please?

27 posted on 01/27/2016 2:36:32 PM PST by don-o (He will not share His glory. And He will NOT be mocked!)
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To: TigersEye

Ditto...fairness is an illusion. No such thing in this life. Anyone who expects it will be gravely disappointed.


28 posted on 01/27/2016 2:36:37 PM PST by Dawn53Fl
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To: NorthMountain

Classic


29 posted on 01/27/2016 2:40:11 PM PST by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: don-o
Broadly, I'd say it's a question that contains premises that are are either debatable or deliberately leading. (This is what "begging the question" actually means). It also refers to questions that force a candidate to waste valuable time countering a charge that the moderator wants to make, such as, "Mr. Trump, many say that you're despicable to women. What changes do you plan on making to improve that?" or "Mr. Cruz, can you cite a single legal decision that would allow a Canadian citizen such as yourself to run for President?" There are others that are simply silly, such as "how does magnetism work?" that have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with trying to manipulate the candidate into embarrassing himself or herself.

Sometimes it isn't quite so cut-and-dried. For example, I'd have to say, "Yeb!, what in God's green earth are you doing at that podium?" is a fairly legitimate question...

30 posted on 01/27/2016 2:42:38 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: mrsmith

Well, IMO, an “interview” question is a personal question for the interviewee...
The questions asked during a real debate should be at large questions about the topic or issue being debated.


31 posted on 01/27/2016 2:44:52 PM PST by Boonie ("Nuke 'em all...Let Allah sort 'em out...)
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To: don-o
An unfair question is one that carries an assumption of impropriety or guilt, as in the famous example already quote "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

I'd also class as unfair a question that calls for a value or moral judgement on sitations without sufficient information.

32 posted on 01/27/2016 2:45:03 PM PST by Vanders9
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To: Boonie

Absolutely. Such questions cheat the viewers.
They also cheat the candidates.
But they cheat all the candidates.

If “interview” questions are only, or mostly, asked of some candidates and not others- then they are unfair at a debate.


33 posted on 01/27/2016 2:50:45 PM PST by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: don-o

“Is that any way for a president to speak about women?”

Totally gotcha, totally rhetorical, superficial, and self-serving (serving the self of the narcissistic harpie).

“By show of hands, how many of this panel will vow to support the eventual nominee of the R party?”

Again, totally singling out Trump for a gotcha moment, right at the outset of the debate, both questions. No one can tell me that was not intended to knock Trump off his horse.


34 posted on 01/27/2016 2:52:27 PM PST by Migraine (Diversity is great -- until it happens to YOU.)
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To: mrsmith

Exactly!!!!!


35 posted on 01/27/2016 2:56:02 PM PST by Boonie ("Nuke 'em all...Let Allah sort 'em out...)
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To: TigersEye

Even if you’re right that the very concept of fairness is a Human construct, its still one that, by definition, Humans value and indulge in.


36 posted on 01/27/2016 2:56:59 PM PST by Vanders9
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To: don-o

As a Buddhist I would consider that “innate natural reaction” (and I agree that it is) to be an emotional neurotic issue. The person who takes the bigger piece of the orange also has neurotic issues or he’s psychotic and has no emotions about it at all.

As for the action being unfair that is a mental fabrication overlaid on the reality of it. The reality is that one person took more than half and that’s just how it is. There might be a number of reasons for why he did. Selfishness, lack of mindfulness, stupidity, poor vision, ... without a deeper knowledge of the reasons for his actions one can’t determine intent or lack of intent so even by the artificial concept of fairness it’s not possible to know if the rules of fairness were violated.

FWIW I think an understanding of what fairness really is and is not is relevant and on topic. You also began this as a discussion intended to lighten things up so this take on it is on topic in that respect as well.

But this is your thread so you are the final arbiter of that. It’s only fair. :-)


37 posted on 01/27/2016 2:59:49 PM PST by TigersEye (This is the age of the death of reason and rule of law. Prepare!)
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To: Dawn53Fl

Life may not be fair, but trying to make it so is not such a bad thing for a society to aim at.


38 posted on 01/27/2016 3:00:52 PM PST by Vanders9
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To: Dawn53Fl

Thank you. Expectations lead to disappointment which make it difficult to deal effectively with the reality that is which isn’t going to demur to your rules of what you think things should be.


39 posted on 01/27/2016 3:04:21 PM PST by TigersEye (This is the age of the death of reason and rule of law. Prepare!)
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To: Boonie; All
The whole purpose of a DEBATE is to ask a question relevant to the topic and have the DEBATERS state their opinions or stance on the issue...

That's good.

These are not, of course, classic debates in which a single proposition is presented and two sides argue for or against.

These are nothing like that.

What about a one on one Q and A? What's unfair? Not silly or irrelevant, but unfair?

Is there any way MK could have asked a fair question about the names that Trump called those women?

Or is the subject matter completely out of bounds? If so, Why?

Not directed directly at you Boonie. Just throwing some thoughts out there.

40 posted on 01/27/2016 3:07:07 PM PST by don-o (He will not share His glory. And He will NOT be mocked!)
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